King of Capital

Chapter 23 National Trend
After another debate, Shen Xin was temporarily convinced and carefully read the marketing strategies of Warrior Shoes collected by Song Anli under the dim light.

Xie Jingxing quietly leaned against the chair and dozed off, his mind full of mixed thoughts as he recalled another milk tea brand that was born in Yunnan.

In his previous life, in early May 2018, he went to Dali for a trip to relax. At noon, he drank some wine and walked around the Dali Ancient Town. It happened that there was a marathon event. The streets were so noisy that he felt dizzy, so he just went into a milk tea shop on the street to sit for a while.

The decoration style of that milk tea shop was very different from the mainstream milk tea shops on the market at that time. It was somewhat similar to the "Cha Yan Yue Se" milk tea brand in the Shonan area, which claimed to follow the Chinese style.

The most eye-catching thing is the red-toned female character logo that resembles a Peking Opera mask, and the name is also very similar - Ba Wang Cha Ji!
The shop owner was a young girl with fair skin, big eyes and was quite talkative. He chatted a lot with her out of professional habit.

At that time, Bawang Tea Princess had just been established for more than a year. From its brand concept to its business model, it was still very immature, ordinary, low-key and simple.

Maybe it was because the girl was sincere enough or because he had been drinking, Xie Jingxing, as a professional investor, actually believed her words at one point:
Bawang Cha Ji wants to be a niche boutique milk tea brand that promotes traditional culture and spreads Chinese style trends!

The two had a very happy chat. He took a few photos of the girl and they exchanged contact information, hoping that they would have a chance to have further contact in the future. However, they ended up not following through due to various trivial matters.

It was three years later that Xie Jingxing heard the brand name of "Ba Wang Cha Ji" again. It completed two rounds of financing, A/B, within three months. The B round raised 300 million yuan, and Guo Guangchang's Fuxing Group continued to invest from the angel round to the B round.

Before his rebirth, "Bawang Cha Ji" had expanded 1800 franchise stores in a single year with a valuation of billions, and there were rumors of a listing.

The way that "Bawang Cha Ji" achieves all this is by following the footsteps of "Cha Yan Yue Se" and "Hey Tea", emphasizing the trendy attributes of Chinese style + continuous high-intensity marketing, and only making fresh milk tea to create differentiated competition that is different from the mainstream fruit teas on the market.

The shop owner told Xie Jingxing very frankly that they were a niche brand and had no money to compete with their peers. Their peers all made fruit tea, so they would only make fresh milk tea. Use good tea and fresh milk to build a good reputation.

When Xie Jingxing saw Cui A Liu, he immediately thought of the former. He couldn't understand why 'Bu Du', an enhanced version of 'Ba Wang Cha Ji' that was also born in Yunnan and appeared five years earlier, failed to make any splash ten years later.

Dead, that's for sure.

If Bu Si, as a brand that appeared in the same year as "Cha Yan Yue Se" and had the opportunity to take the high-end Chinese style route, it would definitely appear in industry research reports and be mentioned as a benchmark template.

So the question is, how did 'Bu Du' die?

In his opinion, the ability demonstrated by the founder Cui Aliu is not that good, but at least worthy of the word "acceptable". The company itself has no fatal problems except for the raw material supply chain.

Therefore, Xie Jingxing was eager to visit the tea mountain and the founding team. Based on his years of experience, he judged that there were probably hidden dangers in these two aspects.

He once felt sorry for missing out on 'Ba Wang Cha Ji', it was just a pity.

Now the opportunity is before him again. Compared with investing in a company, he would be more pleased to create a venture capital trend with his own hands - the new Chinese national trend!

In the photography and portrait industry, there is Panzi Nürenfang; in the clothing industry, there are Li Ning and Huili; in the cosmetics industry, there are Huaxizi and Chando; in the milk tea industry, there was Cha Yan Yue Se and then there was Ba Wang Cha Ji... Countless brands from all walks of life are trying to get involved in the trend of Chinese products. Is it because they are patriotic?

Maybe, but it is certain that you can make money by chasing the trend, and it has even led to many incidents where I treat the national trend as a relative and the national trend treats me as a colonel.

If Li Ning can completely launch the national fashion trend and reap the biggest dividends, why can't other people and other companies do the same?
The brand concept and business approach of "Bu Du" are both traditional Chinese style. It is only a step away from the national trend and can easily cut into it and become a high-end national trend brand.

Hopefully it's worth the investment, rather than being destined to be a flash in the pan.

…………

At two o'clock in the morning, after a three and a half hour flight, Xie Jingxing and his three companions traveled two thousand kilometers and arrived at Chuncheng Changshui Airport.

Cui Aliu arranged for her colleagues to greet her in advance. The man she mentioned was the one who graduated with a PhD in biochemistry from Johns Hopkins University, a man less than 1.7 meters tall, slightly fat, wearing glasses and with ordinary looks.

The two sides exchanged a few pleasantries and continued on their way in a Land Rover with a license plate number 37, heading for Wuliang Mountain in Nanjian.

The one-way trip was more than 400 kilometers. Dr. Wang was not a good driver and was afraid of driving at night, so he could only sit in the passenger seat to give directions and chat with Xie Jingxing to keep him alert.

The three girls squeezed in the back seat. Shen Xin and Cui A Liu were talking in a low voice, while the remaining unknown Song Anli was leaning against the car window, drowsy.

It was a little after five in the morning when the sky began to brighten. Cui A Liu said that they were almost at the roadside and asked us to stop the car and let her drive, as she was more familiar with the rest of the mountain road.

Xie Jingxing sat there all night, and even though his young waist was still a little bit uncomfortable, he breathed heavily and nodded to agree to park the car on the side of the road.

Song Anli, who had been drowsy all the way, suddenly became alert: "Wait, how long will it take to get there?"

"Hold on, another half an hour will be enough." Cui Aliu took a sip of the cold coffee.

Xie Jingxing was eating the McDonald's supper that Dr. Wang brought to pick him up at the airport. The fried chicken fillet that had been left out for half the night was so crumbly that it fell apart after one bite. He asked vaguely, "Do you want to go to the bathroom?"

"Um... is there a toilet nearby?" The dim sky made Song Anli feel better. It was a bit embarrassing to say such words.

Xie Jingxing pointed to the weeds and bushes on both sides of the national road and said, "Go ahead."

"what?"

"I'll stay with you, it's okay." Cui A Liu comforted.

A few minutes later, Song Anli returned to the car and looked at the flat shoes she bought last night, which were stained with water and dust. She felt like crying. This was not the impression she had of investors!

"Venture capitalists are like this, eat something." Xie Jingxing stuffed a burger into her hand.

Song Anli forced a smile and said, "I'm not hungry."

"We'll have to walk a long way and won't have time to eat." Xie Jingxing tried his best to take care of her emotions.

Song Anli lowered her head and said weakly with a crying tone: "I didn't wash my hands."

Whether it is finance or law, the first step for many people to enter the industry is to tear off the glamorous appearance, and women often have a harder time than men in this process.

Xie Jingxing leaned forward and took out the wet wipes from his handcuffs and gave them to her. He resisted the urge to sleep and changed the subject, asking, "Have you been to Yunnan?"

"Thank you." Song Anli was immersed in her own sad world and couldn't hear anything.

Xie Jingxing wanted to laugh for some reason, and raised his hand to rub her hair: "There are many ethnic minorities in Yunnan, we have to respect the local folk customs. When we get there later, be careful when you speak. If you have any questions, let me communicate with you."

Cui Aliu, who was driving, glanced at the rearview mirror and said, "Don't worry, the people in my hometown are very hospitable."

She could feel that Xie Jingxing had outstanding abilities, but it was a bit incredible that he had so much social experience at such a young age.

The people in her hometown are indeed hospitable, but the frontier has its own bold and rough style.

Sometimes the superiors won’t care whether you have violated a taboo unintentionally or not. They will give you a good beating first, and then ask you all the questions while giving you a good beating. They are like law enforcement officers.

As a stranger, it is best to keep your mouth shut and talk less. The closer we got to the tea mountain, the more rugged and winding the road became. The three people in the back row were huddled together. Song Anli leaned against Xie Jingxing unconsciously, tilted her head and rested her head on his shoulder and asked, "Boss Cui, is Wuliang Mountain really the Wuliang Mountain in Jin Yong's novels?"

Nanjian Wuliang Mountain, formerly known as Mengle Mountain, is located at the junction of the Yunnan Plateau and the Hengduan Mountains. Its climate is a transitional area between the central and southern subtropical regions. It is rich in animal and plant species and has been a high-quality tea producing area since ancient times.

The cave where the thief Lin Zhiying blasphemed Liu in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" and the thief Duan Yu blasphemed the Fairy Sister is written here.

Wuliang Mountain covers a large area, extending from Nanjian County of Dali to Xishuangbanna, passing through PE City in the middle. These areas are all famous tea producing areas.

The whole area is divided into three parts: the Great Wuliang Mountain, the Second Wuliang Mountain and the Small Wuliang Mountain. There are dozens of famous tea mountains of all sizes, and there is no need to mention the number of small tea mountains.

The tea plantation area in Nanjian County alone is nearly 10 acres, and the supporting tea factories for picking, drying and making tea have a ratio of about 1: in terms of area.

"The tea industry in our county has formed a complete industrial chain. Leading enterprises and farmers' cooperatives have jointly driven individual processors and tea farmers. The annual output has averaged 1800 tons in recent years, with an output value of about million..."

In late June, the summer tea picking is coming to an end, and workers in the tea mountains are busy with the final work in twos and threes.

Xie Jingxing and his group walked aimlessly in the tea mountain, observing the details, and listened to a middle-aged man with dark skin and red face, speaking in a standard but non-standard Mandarin accent, introducing business opportunities.

This person is Cui Aliu's uncle. He works in the Agricultural Development Professional Cooperative of Gude Village. The six villages under Nanjian, including Gude Village, support the tea industry of the entire town.

"Our county has absorbed a large number of farmers from surrounding towns and villages to work nearby, which has helped 3,000 tea farmers increase their income and become rich... The people have found jobs locally, and the tea farmers have made a good harvest by investing their land... Hey, this... This, our county will have this in the future..."

Uncle Cui put his hands on his hips and waved, spitting and pursing his lips as if he was tired.

Song Anli was confused and Shen Xin felt a little dizzy.

One of them is an overseas student studying in an international city in England, and the other is a sponsor representative. He is a man who always carries leather white shoes to match his suits when he is on business trips. He has never seen such a scene before.

"Okay, Uncle Wu, why don't you go to the kitchen and ask Aunt Wu to help you cook a few special dishes. It must be hard for Mr. Xie to rush here overnight."

Having achieved what he wanted to show, Cui A Liu saw that the time was right and interrupted.

"Don't worry, Uncle Cui."

Xie Jingxing took out a pack of cigarettes and tried to persuade him to stay, "We are good-tempered men. To be honest, my family is also engaged in farming. I am particularly touched by your suggestion of recruiting farmers from the surrounding areas to work nearby to help farmers and revitalize the countryside."

"Oh, thank you. I didn't expect that you, Mr. Xie, are also from a peasant family."

Uncle Cui Wu took the cigarette and twisted it between his hands, his eyes unconsciously glanced at the Oxford shoes that left scratches on Xie Jingxing's feet.

Xie Jing Xing smiled and took out a lighter to help him light the cigarette: "I really don't know much about growing tea, but when it comes to farming, I can help the family with the dry fields and paddy fields. In autumn, I can give them a pair of rubber gloves and a sickle and go to work in the fields."

"Your work won't work. Farming in dry fields and paddy fields is rough work, but tea leaves need to be carefully tended."

"Then let's listen to Uncle Cui tell us?"

"Tell me about this, for example, oolong tea. Our local area attracted Taiwanese capital through business promotion in 2000, specializing in the development of organic oolong tea. Their advanced production technology..."

Shen Xin looked at Xie Jingxing and Uncle Cui Wu squatting on the ground with their arms around each other, smoking cigarettes and talking to each other. She felt terrible. It was not uncommon for the dignified Prince of Yunshan to talk about agriculture, but it was like he was a different person squatting in the furrows doing due diligence in the company. How the hell was this?

Is the world crazy or is she crazy?
Song Anli also looked horrified. How could the situation change so suddenly when the mood was supposed to be calm and peaceful?!
We are not afraid of the rich second generation’s wealth, nor are we afraid of their hard work.

The eldest son of Lifan is rich and owns the first Bugatti in China, but he just lies down and plays; in contrast, his sister, the eldest princess of Lifan, returned from studying abroad and is now in charge of Lifan. She works hard every day and gives everything for the family business.

As a result, Lifan is now half dead.

Ordinary people would at most sigh a few words when seeing such a rich second generation, but Xie Jingxing showed that he was not only rich and capable, but also willing to bend down and work hard.

There is no solution to this. The hexagonal warriors were crushed in all aspects, and Song Anli, as a peer, felt very powerless.

"When people hear about Yunnan tea, they think there is only Pu'er tea. In fact, we have green tea, oolong tea, white tea and black tea. The white tea from Lincang and Jinggu was a tribute to the imperial court in ancient times..."

At lunch, each person drank half a catty of white wine. Uncle Cui's already red face became even redder. He breathed in alcohol and took Xie Jingxing's hand and said: Rural revitalization must be done well. You must conduct a thorough investigation before investing here.

Seeing young and middle-aged people leaving their hometowns to work in the city, leaving behind the elderly and children in entire villages, I feel really sad, and we have to do something practical.

After bidding farewell to Uncle Cui Wu, who was full of hope, Xie Jingxing and his group returned to Chuncheng to inspect the laboratory in the scorching afternoon sun.

The hot wind blew in through the car window. Shen Xin, who was sitting in the passenger seat, wanted to close the window and look at Xie Jingxing, who was leaning on the back seat with a haggard face and a miserable expression, as if he was about to die. He just sighed and turned up the air conditioner to the maximum.

"There are six villages and eight professional tea development cooperatives. You have to work hard to get all the purchase orders. It doesn't matter if you can't get them. You can set up new ones. The scale of tea planting has not yet reached the maximum. In short, you have to regard traditional tea purchasing companies as competitors."

Xie Jing Xing said this while holding back the churning in his stomach.

Cui A Liu didn't understand, frowned and thought, "The raw materials of tea we can digest are limited."

"Why do you set aside a special area near the cash register in the store to sell finished tea?" Xie Jingxing asked.

Cui Aliu opened his mouth and his mind worked quickly: "Because our benchmark is Starbucks, in the entire tea industry..."

"To hell with Starbucks."

Xie Jing Xing interrupted, rubbing his temple: "Sorry, my head is a little heavy, I need a cigarette."

I didn't sleep for more than 30 hours and traveled thousands of kilometers. After that, I drank half a catty of white wine. Don't even think about smoking. As long as I don't die suddenly in the car, anything is fine.

Song Anli helped to light the cigarette. Xie Jingxing took a deep breath and said, "You have an advantage in purchasing raw materials."

Cui Aliu nodded. Her father had six brothers, and her fifth uncle was just one of them.

This is exactly the advantage she wants Juntai to see.

"Then we should seize the advantage and make the most of it. Uncle Wu just talked about the various grades and categories of tea, which is a hellish problem for the traditional tea collection and marketing system. Milk tea naturally smooths out this problem. With the addition of sugar and milk, the taste gap between the best tea and tea dregs is infinitely narrowed."

Xie Jingxing said to himself, "Do you know what this means? This means industrialization. You have the opportunity to become the supplier of tea raw materials for the entire milk tea market."

"Milk tea is an entire industry chain, not just stores."

(End of this chapter)